1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple-operation electric component having the dual function of a rotary electric component, such as a rotary switch, a rotary volume control and the like, and of a multi-direction switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 64-11503, a multiple-operation electric component has been proposed and used. In such a multiple-operation electric component, a multi-direction switch for selectively actuating four push-button switches in response to tilting an operating lever, and a rotary volume control actuated by rotating the operating lever are integrally incorporated.
The multiple-operation electric component includes an operating lever tiltably and pressably held, four push-button switches arranged on the upper surface of a base plate at angular intervals of 90.degree. and a rotary volume control arranged on the lower surface of the base plate. By tilting the operating lever in an arbitrary direction, one of four push-button switches is selectively actuated and position-detecting signals are output in four directions in response to the tilting of the operating lever. In addition, bevel gears are mounted at the lower end of the operating lever and to a rotating shaft of the rotary volume control. By rotating the operating lever while pressing, both bevel gears are meshed with each other so that a rotating force of the operating lever is transmitted to the rotary volume control, whereby a continuous signal responsive to the rotation of the operating lever is output from the rotary volume control.
The above-described conventional multiple-operation electric component, however, includes push-button switches arranged on the upper surface of the base plate and the rotary volume control arranged on the lower surface of the base plate, and the rotating shaft is actuated by the operating lever that passes through the base plate to project downward. Therefore, components of the multi-direction switch and the rotary volume control are disposed above and below the base plate, so that the height of the multiple-operation electric component increases. In addition, when the rotating force of the operating lever is transmitted to the rotary volume control, the operating lever is required to be rotated when the operating lever is pressed to mesh both the bevel gears with each other, so that ease of operation when actuating the rotary volume control deteriorates.